Congress yet to decide on alliance in Bihar

This section believes that Congress, which had won two seats in Bihar in 2009 when it fought alone, may win three four more seats if it seals an alliance but then the long-term plan to build the party in the Hindi heartland will suffer.

A number of Congress leaders in past had blamed Congress' tie up with RJD for the near decimation of the party in the state.  There is also a view in the party that aligning with either JD-U or RJD may push the other party towards the Opposition be it BJP or Third Front or some emerging new front.

Leaders of this viewpoint think that if Congress does not ally with either then it will be in a better position to seek the support of both Prasad and Kumar in a post-poll scenario.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi met Paswan on Saturday.  Before that she had met Prasad on January 1. Prasad later also met Rahul.

Neither Paswan nor Prasad have been able to get any categorical commitment about the alliance though Congress top leadership has indicated to both of them that the first priority of any political arrangement in the state is to stop BJP and ensure formation of a secular government.